The Best Books About Frogs for Facts, Inspiration, and Coloring!

Written by Angie Menjivar
Updated: April 21, 2023
© Dave Denby Photography/Shutterstock.com

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Amphibians aren’t for everyone but if you find yourself fascinated by frogs, you’re probably looking for a book about frogs that fits perfectly into your existing library. It could be a mini library for a mini-you who has all the same interests you do or a book that invites you to explore some of the most mesmerizing frog species found throughout the world. You may already know how to care for and breed frogs but if you don’t and you’d like to learn, there’s a book for that too!

We cover the books you can read with your kiddos (whether you’re a parent or teacher), and we even highlight a book filled with beautiful, intricate frog illustrations that invites you to spend some quiet time with your favorite set of colored pencils or pens. Picking the right book isn’t always easy, especially when you want to snatch them all up at once. To help you choose, we explain the criteria to look for. We also cover the two main types of books about frogs there are for you to explore.

  1. The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World
    • Commemoration of all the magnificent and unique types of frogs
    • Each entry gets a distribution map, sketches, natural history, and conservation status
    • On average, this book has earned 4.9 out of five stars
    Check Amazon
  2. Everything You Need to Know About Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures
    • Explore shocking facts, the anatomy of frogs, and some games and quizzes 
    • Various close-up photos
    • This book has a 4.8 out of five stars rating
    Check Amazon
  3. Fanatical About Frogs
    • 40 pages.
    • Customers recommend this book for children ages 3 through 6.
    • Available in hardcover or paperback
    • Explains concepts to young minds in a fun way
    • Parents rate this frog book 4.9 out of five stars
    Check Amazon
  4. A Frog Named Earl: A Tale of Adventure, Courage, Friendship and Acceptance
    • Great book for young students
    • Type of book that can be enjoyed even by the teacher reading it
    • On average, this book is rated 4.8 out of five stars
    Check Amazon
  5. Frog Coloring Book
    • Coloring book for adults
    • 40 incredibly intricate coloring pages with tons of gorgeous patterns
    • Customers rate this book 4.4 out of five stars
    Check Amazon
  6. Poison Dart Frogs: A Guide to Care and Breeding
    • Complete manual that provides you with step-by-step instructions on building a terrarium and then culturing fruit flies
    • Get tips from a professional breeder
    • The book has earned 4.2 out of five stars
    Check Amazon

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Books About Frogs

#1 Best Overall: The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World by Tim Halliday

The best overall book about frogs is The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World by Tim Halliday.

There are just over 7,000 known species of wildly different frogs. Not only do they look different, but they also act differently. For example, the golden poison frog can kill 100,000 people. There are the male Darwin’s frogs that carry their tadpoles in their vocal sacs. They do this for about two months before they go ahead and cough them out. That’s their way of giving birth. This is the type of book that will surprise you, intrigue you, and keep you captivated.

This book is like a commemoration of all the magnificent and unique types of frogs that exist throughout the world. It covers just a fraction of all the species known to man but 600 is still a lot. Each entry gets a distribution map, a couple of sketches of the frogs, their natural history, and their conservation status. It highlights some of the most fascinating amphibians worth exploring. Plus, it doesn’t matter if you’re an amateur or you’re a veteran researcher, you can absolutely appreciate this book.

Customers warn right off the bat this is a gigantic, heavy book. Many life-size pictures fill these pages; different frogs to discover with each new page! It’s a fast favorite for readers. Don’t consider this an on-the-go book, rather, it’s more something that you should keep at home at your desk or on your coffee table.

Unfortunately, some customers received a damaged book,

Pros and Cons of The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World by Tim Halliday

ProsCons
This book is a guide to 600 species of frogs.Some customers received a damaged book.
It features sketches and photographs of each species.It is very large and heavy.
It features distribution maps and information about the history and conservation status of each species.
Best Overall
The Book of Frogs: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World
  • Commemoration of all the magnificent and unique types of frogs
  • Each entry gets a distribution map, sketches, natural history, and conservation status
  • On average, this book has earned 4.9 out of five stars
Check Amazon

2. Best for 7 to 10 Year Olds: Everything You Need to Know About Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures by DK

In our opinion, the best book for children between seven and 10 years of age is Everything You Need to Know About Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures by DK.

This book is 80 pages long and is available in either hardcover, paperback, or Kindle versions. The title says it all and what it covers are the different types of these cold-blooded friends. Plus, you get insight into their breeding habits, their habitats, and all of the little oddities that make them so interesting.

Explore shocking facts, the anatomy of frogs, and some games and quizzes to keep it interesting. Regarding photos, you get a couple of different close-ups, the accompanying text is always engaging, and it’s perfect if you want to do some in-depth research and use it as a resource for some fast facts.

Pros and Cons of Everything You Need to Know About Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures by DK

ProsCons
This book provides a fascinating insight into the world of frogs.None
It talks about their habitats, breeding habits, and anatomy.
There are fun games and quizzes throughout to keep readers interested.
There are Kindle, hardcover, and paperback editions available.
Best for 7-to-10-Year-Olds
Everything You Need to Know About Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures
  • Explore shocking facts, the anatomy of frogs, and some games and quizzes 
  • Various close-up photos
  • This book has a 4.8 out of five stars rating
Check Amazon

3. Best for Reading With Your Little Ones: Fanatical About Frogs by Owen Davey

For a book that engages your little one and helps to give you some much-needed bonding time, pick up Fanatical About Frogs by Owen Davey.

Available in hardcover or paperback, this is the perfect book to read along with your kiddos. It’s filled with fun facts that kids will find interesting and tons of cool illustrations that are dazzling to the eye. If your child has shown any interest in frogs at all, it’s worth adding this to your at-home library.

The book explains concepts to young minds in a fun way, like the size of frogs, for example. It compares them to items your kids know; like how some are as big as a dinner plate while others can be small enough to fit on top of a fingernail. The author writes about how there are frogs in nearly every color and almost every size that kids can imagine. You and your kids can learn about the deadly poison dart frog and also about the common toad (which is a frog!).

Pros and Cons of Fanatical About Frogs by Owen Davey

ProsCons
This book is filled with fun facts about frogs.None
It features stunning illustrations to keep readers interested.
This book explains the size of frogs in a way that children can understand by comparing them to every day items.
There are paperback and hardcover editions available.
Best for Reading with Your Little Ones
Fanatical About Frogs
  • 40 pages.
  • Customers recommend this book for children ages 3 through 6.
  • Available in hardcover or paperback
  • Explains concepts to young minds in a fun way
  • Parents rate this frog book 4.9 out of five stars
Check Amazon

4. Best for Teachers: A Frog Named Earl: A Tale of Adventure, Courage, Friendship, and Acceptance by E Trewin (Author), S Beyer (Author), E Lord (Editor), and M. Rizwan Tufail (Illustrator)

If you teach either in a classroom or you have a homeschool curriculum you’ve set up then A Frog Named Earl: A Tale of Adventure, Courage, Friendship, and Acceptance by E Trewin (Author), S Beyer (Author), E Lord (Editor), and M. Rizwan Tufail (Illustrator) is a fantastic addition.

The book is about a frog named Earl that doesn’t jump and instead uses a pogo stick to get around and enjoy his adventures. On his different adventures, he meets a couple of new friends who join him on his journey. Some of the friends he meets include a monkey, a fish, and a robin who in their own ways have challenges as well.

By the end of the story, Earl and all of his new friends have gotten to experience a full adventure that incorporates concepts like courage, friendship, and acceptance. This is an inspiring story meant to teach a lesson about perseverance and ultimately, acceptance. It’s heartwarming and the message is one that stays with your little ones for years to come. This book features stunning illustrations throughout which bring the story to life. It is 36 pages long and is available in a paperback format.

The only complaint that customers had about this book is that it is too short at only 36 pages long.

Pros and Cons of A Frog Named Earl: A Tale of Adventure, Courage, Friendship, and Acceptance by E Trewin (Author), S Beyer (Author), E Lord (Editor), and M. Rizwan Tufail (Illustrator)

ProsCons
This is a sweet story about a frog and his adventures as he meets new friends.It is too short at only 36 pages long.
It teaches children about perseverance and acceptance.
It is available in a paperback format.
It features stunning illustrations which bring to story to life.
Best for Teachers
A Frog Named Earl: A Tale of Adventure, Courage, Friendship and Acceptance
  • Great book for young students
  • Type of book that can be enjoyed even by the teacher reading it
  • On average, this book is rated 4.8 out of five stars
Check Amazon

5. Best for Coloring: Frog Coloring Book by Riaz Publications

If you love frogs, you need to destress, and you enjoy coloring, look no further than Frog Coloring Book by Riaz Publications.

This frog coloring book is filled with 40 incredibly intricate coloring pages with tons of gorgeous patterns that help you focus on something other than your stressors. It doesn’t matter if this is your first time picking up a coloring book because this is as entertaining for newbies as it is for people who already have pages and pages filled with their own art. The illustrations are on single-sided pages with a black reverse side to prevent color from bleeding through.

This book is designed for adults because the patterns are so intricate, but hey, there really are no rules when it comes to coloring. The styles have a mandala-type illustration and all you need to pick up are some colored pencils or pens to make this work for you.

Overall, coloring is a meditative experience as an adult. Daily household responsibilities and work deadlines can bog you down. Even commuting to and from work can be exhausting. There’s never a shortage of things to worry about as an adult but coloring brings you into the moment, helps you set aside all of those worries, and allows you to reconnect with the part of you that knows how to be present and have fun.

Pros and Cons of Frog Coloring Book by Riaz Publications

ProsCons
This book has 40 different illustrations to be colored in.None
It features intricate patterns.
Each illustration is singe-sided.
The reverse side of each page is black to prevent color from bleeding through.
Best for Coloring
Frog Coloring Book
  • Coloring book for adults
  • 40 incredibly intricate coloring pages with tons of gorgeous patterns
  • Customers rate this book 4.4 out of five stars
Check Amazon

6. Best for Care and Breeding: Poison Dart Frogs: A Guide to Care and Breeding by Jason Juchems

If you’re feeling like you’re done with only having books about frogs and only watching documentaries about frogs and you’d like a guide that helps you care for and breed poison dart frogs then we suggest Poison Dart Frogs: A Guide to Care and Breeding by Jason Juchems.

This both Kindle and paperback editions. It is a complete manual for the care and breeding of frogs and provides you with step-by-step instructions on building a terrarium and then culturing fruit flies.

You get tips from a breeder who knows all the ins and outs and helps you understand how to breed these wondrous little creatures. Don’t make amateur mistakes. Let this guide help you start on the right path. It has an easy-to-understand flow, which is perfect for those of you who are new to breeding frogs — it’s not at all intimidating.

The only drawback to this book is that it is only really suitable for beginners. Anyone who already has pet frogs will likely not learn anything new from it.

Pros and Cons of Poison Dart Frogs: A Guide to Care and Breeding by Jason Juchems

ProsCons
This book is a complete manual for the care and breeding of frogs.It is only suitable for beginners. Anyone with pet frogs already will not learn anything new.
It offers detailed instructions on how to build a terrarium.
It includes tips from a professional breeder.
There are Kindle and paperback editions available.
Best for Care and Breeding
Poison Dart Frogs: A Guide to Care and Breeding
  • Complete manual that provides you with step-by-step instructions on building a terrarium and then culturing fruit flies
  • Get tips from a professional breeder
  • The book has earned 4.2 out of five stars
Check Amazon

Criteria: What to Look For in Books About Frogs

From this list alone, you can see that there are lots of different books about frogs for you to explore. Some have fictional frogs as a part of a story that conveys lessons about life, some are all about how to care for and breed a certain type of frog, and some are huge and filled with tons of facts. There are two main criteria that you should consider before picking up your next book about frogs.

Book Type

The type of book you pick up depends on what you’re looking for. Some of you are at the stage of wanting to care for and breed frogs, so you’ll need more of a guide or manual to help you accomplish that. Pros write these books with step-by-step instructions to help newbies get going. Other books aren’t so much about having your own frogs.

Instead, they focus on both photographs and illustrations of the many different species of frogs. You learn as you go! Not just about their anatomy, habits, or habitats, but also about all of the funky things they’re able to do. These can be incredibly informative and are not a sit-down once and thumb through the book type of reading experience. They go more in-depth and are the types of books you keep coming back to.

Reading Level

Reading level is also extremely important. Some books about frogs are perfect for little ones and adults to read together. Other books are more for older children to explore on their own. Even a coloring book can be designated for an adult! Although, you can always rip out a page and share it with your kiddo if you must. Make sure that you’re purchasing a book at the appropriate reading level, no matter if it’s for a child or your best friend from college.

The 2 Different Types of Books About Frogs

There are certainly many different types of books about frogs, which we covered in the section above but you can really break down these different types of books into two main categories.

Fiction

Fiction books typically weave a beautiful storyline that incorporates frogs as part of the book but that doesn’t center around facts. For example, A Frog Named Earl is about a frog that uses a pogo stick to get around. Obviously, that’s impossible. But it does tell a story about a frog and manages to incorporate different animals to teach children an important lesson about acceptance.

Non-Fiction

Nonfiction books aren’t concerned about leaving a storyline as much as they are about conveying all the wild, shocking, and intriguing facts there are to learn about frogs. You learn about the different species, see real photographs, and fill up your wealth of knowledge with tons of information, including how to care for and breed frogs (if that’s the type of book you choose).

About the Author

Angie Menjivar is a writer at A-Z-Animals primarily covering pets, wildlife, and the human spirit. She has 14 years of experience, holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology, and continues her studies into human behavior, working as a copywriter in the mental health space. She resides in North Carolina, where she's fallen in love with thunderstorms and uses them as an excuse to get extra cuddles from her three cats.

The Best Books About Frogs for Facts, Inspiration, and Coloring! FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

What book has a frog?

There are countless books about frogs! We highlighted some of the most popular and well-loved ones in this list and you can find other titles to explore as well. Find non-fiction and fiction books, those written for children, those for adults, and explore more coloring books to add to your collection.

Who is the most famous fictional frog?

Arguably, Kermit the frog is the most famous fictional frog. He starred in the Muppet’s, which was a Disney show filled with puppet characters.

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